Vacation Rental House, Vacation Apartment, or Luxury Rental Villa
The regions of Provence are called departments.   Alpes-de-Haute-Provence, Alpes Maritimes, Bouches du
Rhone, Var, Vaucluse, and the Drome Provencals make up Provence.

A vacation rental search could start with either the region you desire or the price range you seek. Some villages
are more expensive than others but the area is well served by good roads so that you can base in one place
and reach many villages and walled cities in an hours drive.  

Transportation will be of crucial importance. Will you have a rental car? (30-60 USD per day and plentiful in the
major cities and TGV stations) If not, lodging in one of the larger towns or cities would be a better option unless
you want the solitude and isolation of a country vacation villa or retreat.

Provence Rental Cars      Available at TGV train stations.

Transportation: Local buses make trips between major cities stopping at towns and villages along the way.  
Schedule.
Vacation Rental House Provence
Luxury Rental Villas or
Vacation rentals at the foot
of a walled city could
accommodate up to 15  or
more and give good
access to recreation,
culture, shopping
Vacation Rental House in
Saignon.
Saignon is  on the hilltop
overlooking Apt.  The village
is postcard perfect and near
enough to the larger city to
offer transportation
Vacation Season,
Europe: High, Mid,
Low
High: July August
Mid:  April, May  
June, September,
October,and School
Vacations
Low:
November,Decemb
er, January,
February, March
Book a vacation
in a rental house
or villa to save
money on lodging
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Book a vacation rental house, a vacation apartment, a
luxury vacation rental villa, or a pet friendly vacation
home and save on vacation lodging.
Before you make hotel reservations,
there are questions that you should ask
or features that you should see listed
that will make all the difference in your
stay.

  • Air conditioning  (or ceiling fan)
  • Parking,  (On site or off)
  • Hotel restaurant
  • In room safe
  • Pool
  • Concierge  (24 hour)
  • Room service
  • Tours from the hotel
  • Airport transfer
  • In room kitchenette
  • Bath tub (or shower)  Hot Water
  • Elevator
  • WiFi in room  (or in lobby)
  • Telephone
  • TV, cable or satellite  (or rabbit ears)
  • Handicap Access
  • Multilingual Staff
  • Laundry Service
  • Child Friendly (Children stay free)
  • Pet Friendly
  • Liberal Cancellation Policy

See Hotels Worldwide with reviews and
list of amenities
  • Convenient Hotel Shopping
Shop nearly 200,000 hotels
worldwide.  See reviews, photos,
maps, room rates, and cancellation
policy. Booking .com    See Hotels
Does the hotel offer a
restaurant.  A hotel
restaurant can offer
convenient dining and room
service
Shop online for Luxury Hotel, Spa
Hotel or Budget Hotel Deals
Hotel Reservation websites offer
  • Reviews,
  • Photos,
  • Maps,
  • List of Services,
  • Cancellation Policy,
  • Room Rates.
Vacation Rentals
Vacation Homes for rent worldwide
HomeAway.com
Choosing a Hotel Or Vacation Rental

  • Websites
The websites  show photos of the hotel interior and makes it easier to shop and compare.  
  • Amenities and Reviews
Still the photos do not tell the entire story, you must look at the list of amenities and read the reviews
  • Google Map, Street View
Beyond that,  the section of the city and the street can make a difference.  A street that has
continuous heavy bus and truck traffic can make an unpleasant stay while a pedestrian only street
could be a blessing.
Once you locate a promising hotel, look on the Google city map and the street view to determine
the hotel's location and the availability of transportation to your desired vacation visits: museums,
restaurants, shopping, sights, etc.

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House Rental, Villa Rental Details.  Several experienced renters have offered this advice.
  • Shop Well Ahead
You can save by renting a house or vacation apartment for your Provence vacation but you need to shop
well ahead of your intended dates and you should do some research.  
  • Reviews, Photos, Google Satellite Map
Read the revues listed,  look at photos, and look at the property with the Google satellite maps, street view
if possible.  Does the location match the photos supplied by the owner, is the house really in the village or
on the coast, water view, mountain view etc.  Check the neighborhood with Google satellite street view; the
cafés can get pretty noisy on weekend nights even in a small village.
    Communicate
Communicate with the owner or property manager by email and save the records of correspondence.  
Communicate by telephone to verify that they are actually at that location.  Ask questions via email or
telephone.
Does the kitchen have an oven and full stove or is it a hot plate on the counter.  Is there a washing
machine, loaner bikes, pool, AC, WiFi, or is it dial-up.  Are there cleaning charges, extra charges for
electricity, gas, rubbish removal etc.  How many stairs must you climb to reach the villa or house, is there
secure parking    
  • Payment
Pay by credit card.  Pay a deposit but not the full amount before your visit, and only after looking at the
agreement or contract.   Wire a small deposit and then call to confirm that the owner or manager received
the bank transfer.    
Check Google for any forums or negative reports about the rental company or property.  
You will be asked to pay a security deposit and sign a contract stating the conditions for the return of the
deposit.  If the contract is complicated or harsh and the owner or manager offers no reviews, no photos, and
no flexibility in the payment method,  keep shopping.